His gaze assessed each one of them, wondering who they were until one of the red dragons who was so eager to be the hero so fast stepped forward and released a wave of his spiritual energy towards the immortal, keeping one of them hostage.
The wave of spiritual energy looked, smelled, and felt familiar like it was a part of him. Which was very weird because he did not recall ever sharing his powers with any of these weak immortals.
He raised a hand to block the incoming wave of spiritual energy targeted at him conveniently. Everyone watched as the opposing wave faltered under the immense power of this enigma.
Dragon bead…
He sensed it as the core of this spiritual power. His eyes then locked on the fearful red dragon. He let go of the female in his hold to step forward. Eyes locked on the immortal in great confusion as he stretched forth his hand towards the red dragon who went dead still. He closed his eyes and tried to confirm if what his senses were picking up was true. Waves of invisible energy began to overtake the veins and meridians of the red dragon as they moved to track its inner dragon bead core. When he got a hold of it, the immortal black dragon's eyes reopened in surprise and without blinking, everyone watched in horror as he forcefully withdrew the inner dragon bead core from the red dragon.
''No!!!!'' Xueyao screamed in protest, rushing to stand beside the black dragon, who was still mystified by the existence of another dragon bead in another creature except for him. He also sensed one in the female who crash-landed on him earlier. His eyes then moved to the other terrified dragons in the room with him. His perfectly carved lips parted as he sensed one in each of them as well.
As the dragon bead core departed from its owner, the red dragon spat out blood as he collapsed on the floor and became unconscious. Yun Xi rushed to the dragon's side and Xueyao flew off from the platform to help as well.
The black dragon held onto the three glowing red vertical lines of red beads rotating non-stop on a spot above his palms. The beaded light grew duller the longer it stayed outside of its owner's body. He tried to understand how they were all dragons. How they all managed to reincarnate as dragons as well when most mortal souls aren't strong enough to reincarnate in the fourth heaven back before he went into seclusion. It was only him, the creator of all the four heavens, keeping watch over the reincarnated souls in the lower three heavens and maintaining balance and…
''Master!''
He moved in response to that familiar voice he wouldn't miss for anything. She was the first unique mortal soul he encountered that was ready to let go of all her earthly attachments and memories to become the first blue dragon that came to keep his company in the great and vast fourth heaven. The first blue dragon he shared his inner dragon bead core with and nurtured inside of her. He first taught her how to cultivate, to draw and use the soul's nourishing energy and of course trained to ascend to a greater form of a dragon like himself.
He turned around to face her completely. Her eyes were brimming with tears and this feeling of being reunited with a close one overwhelmed him greatly as they locked eyes.
''Master…'' she sobbed out as if it pained her greatly when he decided to leave her all alone to handle the affairs of the immortal realm all by herself. When he went into seclusion, she was just a red dragon determined to get better in her cultivation skills and be strong enough to help him handle the weight of managing an entire realm.
Now, she has grown so old and stronger.
She was now a powerful white dragon.
''Qing Yue,'' her other half called softly beside her and that name resonated deeply within him. He remembered the first time he saw a mortal soul dare to wander in the fourth heaven and it refused to leave and reincarnate in the other three heavens. It stuck to his side and pleaded for days and nights for him to be its master. He gave her that name because it reflected so much in her personality in many ways. How long has he really been detached from all of this to see that many more souls have dared ascend to the fourth heaven as dragons. ''Are you alright?''
She swallowed softly as she noticed the look of pain and confusion on her dearest Master's face. He even looked better than the last time he left and sealed himself away from her and his responsibilities. 'Trying to find answers to the meaning of his feelings.'
That day he left her all alone and she couldn't be with him again. She cried, cursed several times at the gates of the Undying Realm. She cultivated nonstop and went hard on herself in letting go of all of her earthly attachments to become the first white dragon. She nurtured the next soul that came to the fourth heaven for reincarnation and trained him to be the next white dragon and gradually, they built the immortal realm to what it was today. Training them to be dragons with inner dragon bead cores to give them spiritual powers and enable them to cultivate and be strong.
The pain was too great and it became all too overwhelming and confusing for him. He placed his fingers on his forehead, trying to grasp it all at once. Qing Yue then used her powers to safely return the inner dragon bead core back to its unconscious owner. Then she turned to face the ignorant and confused–looking red dragons she led down here and said in a strong voice.
''Fall on your knees!''
They all did without questioning.
''Bow your heads before him! He is the Great ancient immortal black dragon we have all been anticipating his resurrection!''
Everyone's eyes widened as they all lowered their heads immediately before His excellency. Xueyao raised her head up a bit and couldn't believe she guessed his identity right at first sight. She brought it down again and wondered how it would sound if she told them all that this black dragon tried to kill her by accidentally waking him up from his hibernation.
''Xueyao!''
Her heart jolted when the female white dragon called out her name. She also wondered how she knew her name was Xueyao. Or could it really be true about the rumors that the female white dragon needs no introduction before she knows the name of every single immortal dragon in the fourth heaven?
Wow. She was truly amazed by this stunning ability.
''The very fulfillment of the long prophecy of a Tribulation Guardian leading the Immortal Black Dragon through several tribulations to save the immortal realm has now begun!''
Her words rang loud and clear in everyone's ears and hearts. The ones that doubted the credibility of the prophecy were put to shame and they wished the ground would open up to swallow them whole.
''Those of you with doubts will be punished.''
Every red dragon swallowed hard at what that meant.
Xueyao's heart was the one that raced the most.
Prophecy.
Tribulation guardian.
Saving the world…with him?
She shook her head. There must have been some misunderstanding. She couldn't be…she possibly could not be…They couldn't be so dense enough to believe the weakest blue dragon in the whole fourth heaven would be unique enough to be chosen to save the world.
What sort of joke was that?
''Xueyao!''
''Ah,'' she gasped when the female white dragon called her out again, bringing all curious eyes on her.
''Rise and come forward,'' Qing Yue said with authority dripping nonstop from her voice.
Xueyao paused on what to do and how to convince them all that they were all mistaken. She glanced briefly at her master who was still fighting to revive the unconscious red dragon in her arms with her spiritual powers.
''Master, let me take us home,'' She said, grabbing her Master's hand and flying them all out of the cave in a blink of an eye.